Yashvir replaces Neeraj Chopra as AFI names 77-member Asian Games team

Commonwealth Games bronze medallist javelin thrower Yashvir Singh has replaced injured Neeraj Chopra in the Indian athletics team for the upcoming Asian Games in Japan, while long distance runner Abhishek Pal has been dropped after he was served notice for an alleged doping offence by the NADA.

Athletics Federation of India (AFI) on Thursday announced a 77-member Indian track and field team for the September 19-October 4 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at a press conference in Ludhiana which is hosting the National Youth Championships.

Men's 110m hurdler Tejas Shirse has also been omitted from the team after he sustained an injury during the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

"We have brought in Yashvir who is a CWG medal winner in place of Neeraj Chopra who is currently injured. It was an injury replacement and so there was no problem (in Yashvir coming in)," AFI President Bahadur Singh Sagoo said.

"Long distance runner Abhishek Pal has been dropped because of the issues he is facing. So this is the final team for the Asian Games," he added.

Last month, Abhishek was served notice by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) after his dope sample was found to contain a female fertility drug which the officials said was "below threshold level".

"It's not a case of (Abhishek) returning dope positive. The presence of the substance is below threshold level. NADA is currently undergoing investigation. But we did not want to take any risk. We don't want anybody to point a finger on us. So, we have dropped Abhishek from the team," former AFI secretary and current planning commission chief Lalit Bhanot said.

Shirse and Abhishek were included in the 73-member Indian athletics team announced by the Sports Ministry earlier this month. The ministry added six more track and field athletes on Wednesday.

The athletes added are 200m runner Harita Bhadra, quarter-miler Kiran Pahal, pole vaulter Sindhushree G, triple jumper I Asha Ilango, discus thrower Sanya Yadav and hammer thrower Praveen Kumar.

With two athletes – Abhishek and Shirse – dropped from the original 73 and six added on Wednesday, the final entry is 77.

Bhanot said the names of the six added athletes have been accepted by the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games organisers on the request of Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

"These six athletes were not in the long list submitted by us (few months back) but the IOA made a request for their inclusion and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Asian Games Organising Committee have accepted their entry," Bhanot told PTI.

"It just happened just a few days back," he added.

The AFI has also made a request to the organisers to allow last edition Asian Games double medallist Avinash Sable run in 5000m race also. His participation in his pet 30000m steeplechase event is, though, confirmed.

Sable has run in just one race this season after he underwent an ACL surgery last year. He won a gold in 3000m steeplechase and a silver in 5000m in the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.

"Sable's participation in 3000m steeplechase is confirmed, there is no problem in that. But we have also made a request to the Asian Games organisers for him to run in 5000m also.

"But, this is subject to him breaching the AFI qualification mark (in 5000m) during the final event of the Indian Athletics Series on September 10 in New Delhi," Bhanot said.

The Indian Athletics Series Finals in New Delhi on September 10 will be a prize money event and most of the Asian Games-bound athletes will compete in that.

Sable will have to breach the AFI qualification mark there and also hope for clearance from the Asian Games organisers if he has to participate in the 5000m race.

Regarding Shirse, an AFI source said that the federation had asked him to update his fitness condition in writing but he has not done it so far.

Meanwhile, Gulveer Singh and Parul Chaudhary will run in three events each in the Asian Games. Gulveer will run in 10,000m, 5000m and 1500m, while Parul will compete in 3000 steeplechase, 5000m and 1500m.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Bridge Desk. It is published from a syndicated feed.)